Refrigerating apparatus



P J. R. RoLuNs 2,281,079

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 17, 19:59 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 o i /2 5 L 2 /6 WITNESSES: 2o 22 INVENTOR JAMES R. RouJ/vs- ATTOR Y Patented Apr. 28, 1942 Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Compuny, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ap lication Mai-en 11, 1939, Serial No. 262,371

This invention relates to apparatus and methods for manufacturing refrigerating units. and more especially to methods and apparatus for dehydrating such units. r

The interior of. refrigerating units anust be dehydrated to prevent formation of ice crystals in the capillary tubes or regulating valves,

d ing and emulsiflcation of the hibricating oil, intercrystalline embrittlement of brasses. oxidation and chemical reactions with refrigerants and H othermaterialsband to eliminate the possibilityof shorting the field coils of the actuating motor.

Thedehydration process for refrigerating units has heretofore comprised placing the units in an ovenand heating them to a temperature of about 25051". fora periodof approximately eight hours and removing the water vapor present and formed in the units during thisprocess. Placing the units in an .oyen, however, has heretofore required'additional handling of the units and breaks up the'continuity of the manufacturing processes which are carried out on movingcon- It is, therefore, an object of the invention to eflect dehydration of the units while moving on the conveyors.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the cost of manufacturing refrigerating apparatus, particularly on a large scale production. i

Still another object of the invention is to dry materially I the reirigeratingunits by passing a drying agent therethrough while the units are moving on a conveyor.

A further object is to provide a secondary conveyor for cylinders containing a dehydrating agent, which conveyor is synchronized with the conveyor which carries the units through the dehydrating. oven, the latter conveyor preferably being the conveyor utilized for the main asse bly of the refrigerating apparatus. 7

These and otherobiects are eifected by my inventlon'as willbe apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application; in which? i Fig. 1 is a plan view of thedehydrating oven with the top removed and illustrates the main productionconveyorpassing through' the oven and the auxiliary conveyor hydratingcylinders Fig. .2 is a detail view showing the refrigerating unit and the dehydrating cylinder connected thereto, substantially in the positions in which carries the de- 9 Claims. (01. ammo which they are carried through the oven by the conveyors.

Referring speciflcallyjto theldrawings for s detailed description of the inventiomthe reference numeral III designates a frame which is supported on a hook ll of a trolley i2 of a moving conveyor [3, which trolleyengagesthe lower flanges of an I-beam track It by means of two rollers IS. The rollers I! are moved along the I-beam tracks II by a motivated chain II. The

frames Ill each support a refrigerating unit II,

for example, of the compression type used in domestic refrigerators. This conveyor system I! is shown in detail in the application of Charles E. Roberts, Serial No..176,895, filed November 27, 1937 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. The I-beam track ll passes through an oven I I to convey the therethrough.

The refrigerating unit shown comprises a sealed casing is containing a compressor 2| and a motor 22 for driving the same. The motor 22 includes field windings 20 which are usuallycovered with a cotton insulating material (not shown).

to as a capillary tube. connects the condenser 2| with an. evaporator 26. A third conduit 21 connects the evaporator 28 with theinterior of the casing 19. An intake opening it of the compressor 2| also communicates with the interior of the casing IS. The path of the refrigerant in the unit II, when completed and in operation, will be from the compressor 2 I, through the conduit 23 to the condenser 2t, throughv the conduit.

2! to the evaporator 26, through the conduit 21 to the sealed casing is from which it enters the compressor 2| through the intake opening 40 to complete the circuit. Afan 2|, driven by a motor 29, draws air through the condenser 2 and blows it over the casing 19 to cool both the condenser and the casing. An inlet tube II is securedtothe casing is near the motor containing end thereof. and an outlet tube 32 is connected. to the conduit 23 near the compressor 2| for a purpose hereinafter described.

A secondary conveyor-ll, comprising an I-beam track ",passes through the oven Il adjacent the conveyor l3 and carries cylinders 8| preferably containing a compressed and dehydrated gas such as air, by means of -trolleys 15 similar to trolleys I2. A chain It provided with a hook 31 is secured to each trolley 35 which book is fastened to one of the trolleys II on theconveyor l3 refrigerating units It A conduit 23 connects the compressor" with a condenser 24, and a second conduit 2! of small internal diameter, sometimes referred to move the trolley 85 carrying the cylinder it through the oven ii. The cylinder 34 is provided with a valve is and a flexible tube ll. The I-beam track I3 is continued outside of the oven II to form a loop which conveys the cylinders 34 from the oven i1 to'a recharging plate form ll and thereafter returns the cylinders ll to the entrance end of the oven il.

' The operation of the dehydrating apparatus is as follows: A group (eight has been found to be a desirable number) of refrigerating units" moving along the main conveyor I! are connected preferably in series by flexible tubes 42 to connect the inlet tube II of one unit to the outlet tube 32 of the following unit and the flexible tube ll of the cylinder is connected to the inlet tube" a of the last .unit. The chain it connected tothe trolley 35 which carries the cylinder 38 is connected to the trolley i2 carrying one of the units il in the group so that the chain It pulls the trolley 35 supporting the cylinder 34 along the I-beam track 33 and adjacent the last unit of the group. As the group enters the oven ii, the valve II on the cylinder 34 is opened to permit the'dehydrated and compressed gas to flow consecutively through all of the units is in the group and out through the outlet tube 32 of the first unit in the group. When the dehydrating agent, preferably in the gaseous state, is forced into the inlet tube ll, it 'flows through the interior of the easing is' and then divides. a portion'enterlng the port. Iii, flows through a short length of the conduit 23 and then flows out through the conduit 32. Another portion of the gas enters the conduit 21, passes through the evaporator 28, then manuaily along the I-beam track 33 to the recharging platform II where they are refllledand are then conveyed. along the I-beam track 34 to the entrance of the oven ii. The oven i1 is of sumcient size and the units l8 travel at such a.

speed that the units are in theoven I! for about eighthours. The actual path of. the conveyors i3 and in the oven I1 may be convoluted to decrease the overall length of the oven.

The cotton comprising the insulation ofthe motorwinding is the material most dimcuit to dehydrate, and the dehydrating process is therefore directed principally towards the dehydration of this material.

It will beobserved that this invention provides a means whereby refrigerating units traveling on the main production conveyor may be dehydrated while in motion. It further provides an apparatus which reduces the labor costs of the dehydration'process and tends towards uniformity in the degree of dehydration of the unit.

.While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those'skilied in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible oi various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire,

therefore, that only'such limitations shall be aaanovo or as are specifically set'forth in the appended claims. What I claim is: 1. In apparatus for dehydrating reirigerah log units having chambers containing conductors of electricity insulated with "vegetable fibers,

said apparatus comprising vessels containing a dehydrating agent. means for conducting said de hydrating agent through said chambers, means for heating said conductors of electricity, and means for conveying said units and said vessels in heat-exchange relation with said heating,

means while. said dehydrating agent passes through said chambers. a

2. In apparatus for dehydrating refrigerating units, the combination of means for transporting refrigerating units and containers of a drying agent in spaced relationship, stationary means for heating said units while in motion, and conduit; means connected to said containers and adapted to connect with said refrigerating units to conduct the drying agent through the heated hydrated in said oven while moving therethrough.

4. In apparatus for dehydrating refrigerating units while in motion, the combination of an oven, means for transporting refrigerating units and containers of compressed dehydrated gas through said oven in spaced relationship, and

, conduit means connected to said containers and I adapted to connect with said refrigerating units to conduct the gas of said containers through the units toremove the water vaportherein.

5. In apparatus for dehydrating refrigerating units while in motion, the combination of an oven,

a conveyor for transporting refrigerating units 1 through saidoven, containers of dehydrating agent, means synchronized with said conveyor for transporting said containers adjacent said conveyor through said oven, and conduit means connected tosaid containers-and adapted to connect with said refrigerating units on said conveyor toconduct the dehydrating agent through the units to remove the water vapor therein.

6.-In apparatus for dehydrating refrigerating units while in motion, the combination of an oven, a conveyor for-transporting refrigerating units through said oven, containers of dehydrated gas, means synchronizedwith said conveyor for transporting said containers adjacent said conplaced thereupon as are imposed by the prior art'75 veyor through said oven, and conduit means connected to said containers and adapted to connect with said refrigerating units on said conveyor to conduct the gas of said containers through theunits to remove the water vapor therein.

'l. In apparatus for dehydrating refrigerating umts while in motion, the combination of an oven, a, conveyor for transporting. refrigerating 8. In apparatus for dehydrating refrigerating units while in motion, the combination of an oven. a traveling conveyor for transporting said units through said oven, a second conveyor adjacent and parallel to said first-named conveyor for transporting containers of compressed, dehydrated gas in spaced relationship with one of said units, and means for conducting the dehydrated gas from one of saidcontainers through at least one of said units while the latter are in the oven, said second conveyor transporting said containers from the oven to a recharging station and thereafter to the entrance of said oven.

9. In apparatus for dehydrating refrigerating units, the combinationo! heating means. means for progressively moving refrigerating units. each including a plurality of chambers adapted to contain refrigerant, relative to and in heat exchange relation with said heating means, and means for passing a dehydrating agent through said chambers while said units are moving relative to said heating means.

ams a. ROLLINS. 

